Trolley-pole catcher



(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 1.

' 0. G. GATES, Jr.

TROLLBY POLE GATGHER. 7

No. 521,602. Patented June 19, 1894.

\AMJW 7 mmmmmmn (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet O. G. CATES,J1.

TROLLEY POLE UATGHER.

No. 521,602. Patented June 19, 1894.

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'OWEN e. oArEs, JR., on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TROLLEY-PO LE CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,602, dated June 19,1894.

Application filed March 12,1894. Serial No. 503,275. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OWEN G. GATES, J r., a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new. and useful Improvement in Trips for Trolley-Poles, of whichthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact descriptron, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawln gs, forming a part of this specification,whereln like letters of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,and in which- Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation, show- Ingthetrolley pole in operative or a set positron. Fig. 2 is a similar view,illustrating the pos1t1on of the parts after the trolley pole has beentripped. Fig. 3 is a plan-view. Fig. 4 1s a sectional view, through thepivot post, taken ust above the trigger operating rod. Fig. 5 1s aperspective view, illustrating the parts on the outer end of theswinging arm'; and 6 is a modification.

My Invention relates to a new and useful Improvement in trolleys forelectric cars, and

' resides particularly in the provision on the reach arm, in the formofa bolt, for releasing the tension of the trolley supporting springs,upon the escape of the trolley wheel from the overhead conducting wire.

Other minor details of the invention reside I in the construction,arrangement and combinatlon of the several parts, all as willhereinafter be described, and afterward pointed out In the claims.

Heretofore, great trouble and. annoyance has been experienced incontrolling thetrolley pole in overhead wire systems to prevent thetrolley running off the wire, and the pole becoming wild. Particularlyis this true where double tracks cross each other and the trolley jumpsthe wire at the first crossing connection, when it will fly free andforward to the next cross-wire, against which it will strike with greatforce, to the detriment of the w re and pole. My invention is to obviatethis difficulty.

In the drawings, A indicates the pivot post, asI shall term it; B thetrolley pole, pivoted at b to the upper end of the post A; C, the rockerarms; D the strap; E, and E, the cross-bars, one of which E is attachedto the straps D. A V

'F, are springs interposed between the crossbars E and E, which springshave a tendency to force the trolley pole B forward, and hold itscarried trolley againstthe wire.-

G indicates a reach-arm, through the outer end of which passes asleeveH, through which sl'eeve a rod I passes, said rod being attached at itsinner end to the cross-bar E, and threaded at its outer end to receive anut whereby the tension of the springs F is adjusted.

All the above parts are common and well known, and heretofore theadjustment of the springs F has been made by theimpingemen't of the nuton the rod I directly against the outer face of the reach-arm G.

In my present construction, I form a shoulder or recess h on or in thesleeve H, which shoulder or recess co-operates with the slide- "block orbolt J, slidingly mounted in suitable this instance being illustrated asa bell-crank lever K pivoted to the reach-arm, one member of which isconnected to a rod L, which rod is mounted in suitable ways formed onthe under side of the reach-arm, and extends forward such a distance asto be in a convenient position to be operated upon by the forwardmovement of the trolley pole. I have illustrated atconvenient means foraccomplishing this, which resides in the rod L straddling the post A,the ends of which are in the path of pins M extending from therocker-arms.

To retain the bolt or sliding block J in its proper position, and, atthe same time, afford means to return the rod Lto a set position readytobe acted upon by the pins M when the trolley pole swings forward, Iarrange thereon a spring N, as shown.

. Should the trolley jump the Wire and the pole swing forward, theprojections M will be carried back until they'strike the inner end ofthe rod L, which rod will, through the bellcrank lever, raise the boltor sliding block J out of the recess or from in front of the projectionon the sleeve H, which will permit the sleeve and its carried rod I tomove inwardly, under the action of springs F, which will throw the poleto the rear and out of the way. The pins M will prevent the pole frommoving forward too far, to Work any damage, and,

if desired, a suitable bufier spring may be used between the rocker armsto arrest its forward movement, as is common. To reset the pole after ithas been tripped as above described, I have illustrated a meanscomprising a suitable lever or levers T pivoted to the lower end of thereach-arm, upon which lever is arranged a link R, slotted at its innerend for the reception of the cross-bar E. A cord or other suitable meansmay be connected to the outer end of the lever T, by which the same maybe operated from the ground or platform of the car.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, that is, the trolleypole having been tripped, the crossbar E will be located near the outerextremity of the slot in link R. By pulling the lever T outwardly, thecross-bar E will be brought out, forcing the sleeve I-I through theopening in the outer end of the reach arm until the recess or projectionh reaches a point where the sliding block or bolt J can operativelyengage therewith, when the parts will be set for another operation.

In Fig. 6, I have illustrated a sliding bolt J as being located so as toco-operate with a recess in the sleeve H on its under side, thebell-crank lever being reversed from the position shown in Figs. 1 and2.

I am aware that there are many minor changes in the construction andarrangement of the several parts of my device which could be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described, without departing fromthe nature and principle of my invention, and I also do not wish to beunderstood as confining myself to this special form of trolley base, asthere are othersto which my invention is applicable.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. The combination with the trolley pole and its means for holding thetrolley in contact with the wire, in which means are included springs,of abolt forholdingthe springs under tension,a bell-crank leverconnected to the bolt, a rod connected to the other arm of thebell-crank lever, and projections on the rocker arms of the trolley polefor engaging and operating the arm when the trolley leaves the wire,whereby'the bolt is actuated to release the tension of the springs,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a trolley pole, pivot-post, reach-arm andsprings, of a movable bearing for one end of the springs, a threaded rodconnected to said movable bearing, a sleeve upon said rod, a projectionon the sleeve, a bolt which is adapted toengage the projection and holdthe pole in an operative position, and means for operating the bolt torelease the projection upon the forward movement of the pole,substantially as described.

3. The combination with a trolley pole, pivot-post, reach-arm andsprings, of a movable bearing for one end of the springs, a bolt forretaining the springs under tension, a bellcrank lever for operating thebolt, a rod connected to the bell-crank lever, and extending within thepath of the lower end of the trolley pole, a spring surrounding the rodfor holding the same and the bolt in a normally operative position, andmeans on the lower end of the trolley pole for coming in contact withthe rod and actuating the same when the trolley wheel jumps theconducting wire, substantially as described.

4. The means for resetting a tripped trolley pole, comprising thecombination with the spring bearing bar, of slotted links through whichsaid bar passes, and a lever to which said links are connected,substantially as described.

5. The combination with the means for tripping a trolley pole whosewheel has jumped the conducting wire, of mechanism for re-setting thetrolley pole com prisinga slotted link through which one of the springbars passes, a lever to which said link is connected, said lever havingan eye in its free end, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a pivoted trolley pole, of a spring or springsconnected thereto for holding the trolley in contact with a conductor, acatch for normally holding the springs under tension, and means for adjusting the relation between the springs and catch, whereby the tensionof the springs can be adj usted orregulated,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 23rd day of February, 1894..

OWEN G. GATES, JR.

Witnesses F. R. CORNWALL, HUGH K. WAGNER.

